A couple of molars have been visiting Debrecen Zoo for years – the foundation shared the happy news on his social page. This year, six sweet ducklings will be raised in the great forest.
As they write in their post:Our establishment is located in the heart of the Debrecen Forest, which has been recorded for the longest time in the country’s nature reserve, and is an integral part of the surrounding ecosystem, so representatives of the wildlife of the forest regularly visit us.
Our returning guest is a pair of mallard ducks, who have chosen our garden as their nesting place for the third year now, and since the six ducklings hatched, they like to cool off in and around our bodies of water – you can often meet them at the lake next to Gibbon’s house and at the moat in front of Neuszevalva” .
Mallard
the europamadarai.hu The page describes the duck or mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) as a species of bird class Anseriformes and family Anatidae. The duck’s body length is 50-65 cm, wingspan is 81-98 cm, and weight is 750-1450 grams. The egg is smaller and about a quarter lighter than the male’s.
The duck is widespread in Europe, Asia and much of North America, and is the most common species of duck in the Carpathian Basin.
Its wandering individuals reach many places, including Africa, Central and South America. Humans also helped extend its range, as it was introduced to the eastern part of the United States, the Bermuda Islands, Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. From there the species moved to many places as it roamed, eg. It has also been spotted on many islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was introduced to several islands in southern French territory, such as the Kerguelen Islands, as well as the Falkland Islands and Macquarie Island.
Ducklings reach sexual maturity at the age of one year. It is not picky about nesting sites, it builds its nest made of plant parts and feathers on the ground. She often begins laying her nest of 9-13 eggs in early March, which she incubates for 22-28 days. The eggs are greenish in colour.
The mallard’s diet is varied, eating mainly seeds, plant parts, invertebrates, small fish, and tadpoles. The bird cannot pass completely under water, so the back of the bird rises out of the water and stands wide. Part of the flock hibernates, another part migrates. species that can be caught. The oldest known mallard lived to be 29 years old.
(Source: Debrecen Zoo Facebook / europamadarai.hu)
Hungarian Animal Protection
